A Fine Day

Wed, 2012-06-27 18:25 — Tallguy

Last week, on our regular spinning day, I took the day off work so that I could enjoy our year-end outing. The ladies usually like to plan a little trip somewhere to spin and have lunch. This year, we travelled about an hour south of the city to a small farm of a lady that is also a spinner. It was a lovely day, with sunshine and gorgeous blue skies! We haven't seen that for ever so long. But being the first day of summer, we were so fortunate in getting this. I do think, however, that this may have been our summer!

The lady at the farm has a couple of sheep, of unknown heritage. They are free range, and there wasn't any control of which ram bred which ewe, so there is a large mixture of probably everything in these. She had one fleece there for us to play with. She had a pot of dye on the stove, and welcomed any of us to take a handful and dye it. She also told us to take some home with us, if we wished.

I did take a lock and spin it on my spindle. It is quite a long staple, with good crimp, and fairly fine quality. After spinning 2-3 locks, I decided I would take some home, wash it, and spin something fine with enough yarn to knit a small delicate something.

I carefully picked out all the locks I could find in my small handful, and keeping the direction the same, I just flicked the ends to open them up, and then combed each lock. I carefully lay each combed lock so that the direction was always the same. I spun the singles from the cut end (smoother in that direction). I could very easily tell if there were some hairs that were turned around, for it didn't flow as smoothly. Of course, this fleece just begged to be spun fine, and I did what it wanted. I will then do a 2-ply and am not sure what I will make with the yarn, but it will be something small and very delicate.

I have to say that on the way home I was thinking that this was a really great day. I had the best time spending the day chatting with the ladies, playing with fibres, relaxed in the summer sunshine, a wonderful lunch -- I just couldn't understand why I need to spend all of my week in an office doing non-interesting and non-fun things. This day really struck me at how wonderful life could be -- if only I would allow myself that luxury. Being without a job -- and income -- is scary, so I stay, but I know there is something better. There is nothing better than spending your day with your hands buried deep in fibre!! Too bad I don't do it often enough.

Comments

Wow, tallguy, sounds like you had a short vacation. Sometimes that's just what we need, not just for our tired out brains, but for our souls.
About jobs though, I have to say that in my 20s I burned out early. I mean, I was all about my company and its vision and what I could do to make it more money, 80-hour weeks and so forth.
I had a vacation and just couldn't get the funk back, ya know? Since then, I've been figuring out what I want to do as my own business.
Perhaps your venture lies in fiber? Either way, I hope you start taking more time for yourself and your loves. Life's too short to be spent making other people millionaires. do the same for yourself.

Dave
P.S. Im still on a vacation from knitting, but will be needing your help for some project or ohter. lol

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